


Star Labrys

by Aetherlift



Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Gatchaman Crowds, Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Genre: AI Character, Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Catboys & Catgirls, Crossover, F/F, Fantasy, Fluff, Gen, Gender Issues, Gender Related, Isekai, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian, Multi, Polyamory, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Trans, Trans Astolfo, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Ferris, Trans Rui, Transgender, Yuri, gender feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-07 15:08:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13437408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aetherlift/pseuds/Aetherlift
Summary: Star Labrys is a crossover fanfic about trans girl-coded characters who were mistreated or misgendered by their narratives. The ones where their writers said that they were "confused about their gender", or where they "just crossdress because they're eccentric", or where they're just joke characters so people can call them "tr*ps". Here, all of them get whisked away to another world and join an adventuring guild called Star Labrys together! It’s written from the perspective of Rui Ninomiya.





	Star Labrys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This fanfic deals with gender feelings. Rui, Ferris, and Astolfo are all trans girls in this story, but none of them have realized that at this point. It’s told through Rui’s perspective, and will use the pronouns Rui feels are appropriate based on the information she has available to her at the time.

I’m lying on the couch in my living room watching a nature documentary with X on the giant screen that they usually use to display information to me. And then... I’m not. I’m standing in a huge, old, overgrown stone building with light streaming down through holes in the ceiling. There’s a girl I've never seen before here with me, who looks as startled as I probably do. My tablet is still in my hand, and my first instinct is to ask X, “W-what... where are we?”

Both X and the girl try to speak at the same time, but my mind prioritizes X’s response. They present a nervous purple visualizer pattern and say through my tablet's speakers, “I don’t know. I can’t... I’m cut off from... everything. Can you... show me with the camera?”

“Yeah.” I point my tablet around at the building, and give X time to perceive our surroundings. While I’m doing that, I ask the girl, “Sorry, what did you say?”

“Nyothing, really. I don’t nyow where we are either...”

I parse her appearance for the first time. She has... cat ears, and a tail? She’s around my age, and has short brown hair with bows in it. She’s wearing an elaborate blue dress with a large white bow on the back. But those things seem pretty irrelevant compared to how her cat ears are actually moving, responding to me talking and other sounds in the environment. I’m forced to conclude that they must be real.

“Well, my name is Rui Ninomiya.” Meeting a new person makes me conscious of what I’m wearing, which is a blue dress, but no wig. 

“Ferris, nice to meet you!”

“Are those cat ears?”

Ferris shrinks a little, “Oh... yeah.”

It seems like I said something wrong. I try, “Oh, no, they’re really cute! Uh, I’ve just never seen someone with cat ears before. Where I’m from people sometimes wear fake cat ears because they think it looks cute, so when I saw that yours were real I just got excited.”

That seems to help. She blushes a little, “Oh, thank you!” She leans a little closer to me. I can’t help but notice that she’s very pretty. Her eyes are deep and golden.

X interjects, “It looks like we might be in a temple or church. It doesn’t match the architectural design of any building I’ve seen in Japan.”

“Thanks,” I say. “Do you want to go outside and look around, Ferris?”

“Yes, lets!” 

Thankfully, the giant stone doors are open already. When we get outside we’re on a hill overlooking a bustling city. It’s late afternoon. There’s horses drawing carriages over cobblestone paths and no sign of power lines or cars. Is this a different time period? And then there’s Ferris’ cat features… teleported to a fantasy world? 

Ferris leans towards me, “So, what’s with your talking square? Is it a metia?”

“I don’t know what a metia is, but this is a tablet. My friend X... lives in it?”

X says in my earpiece, “Rui, I was overwhelmed when we first arrived and missed this person’s name.”

“X, this is Ferris. She seems to be in the same situation as we are.”

Ferris laughs and says, “Oh, Ferri is a boy, actually! But it’s nice to meet you, X!”

My heart beats faster. Usually I just let people make whatever assumptions they make about my gender. But Ferris is like me, at least in some way. I don’t know why he dresses like that, but I can’t imagine people being kind about that anywhere. It feels like not saying anything would be letting some kind of opportunity slip away, and this is probably a dream anyway, right?

“...I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m a boy, too.”

“W-what...? Really!? I’ve nyever met anyone else who... why do... you’re sooooo pretty Rui!!”

That makes me blush a little… I’m not sure what I expected but I wasn’t for him to respond by calling me pretty. It’s a good feeling. I always expect anyone who finds out when I’m dressed like this to react with disgust, even if not everyone really does. Also, he was apparently reading me as a girl even without a wig. I’m not sure how to feel about that.

“Thank you, I think you’re pretty too! As for why... I’m not really sure. I just like how I look in these clothes, I guess? Maybe I also like how people relate to me differently. What about you?”

“Ferri likes being cute! It makes Ferri happy when people think he’s a cute girl, even if it’s nyot really true... Anyway, Ferri is sorry to suddenly bring up personal things when we just met! Let’s see if we can find someone to ask about where we are.”

“Alright.”

He takes my hand and leads me outside. Before I met Hajime I probably would have been uncomfortable with the sudden, casual physical contact, but I’m more used to it now. It actually feels pretty nice.

The two of us walk into the city together, still holding hands. I wonder if it’s going to be a problem here if people think we’re lesbians. Even so, I don’t let go of Ferris’ hand. Somehow being with someone else like me makes me feel powerful, and if anything happens, we’ll just deal with it. 

My experience playing D&D with Hajime, OD, and X leads me to believe a tavern might be a reasonable place to ask for information. It’s not necessarily a reliable way to decide what to do, but I don’t have any other ideas, so I find the nearest one. It’s dimly lit, with small windows and a few lamps. It’s pretty empty at the moment, so it’s easy to get the bartender’s attention. I say, “Hi, um, we’re lost and we’re wondering if you could tell us where we are?”

“Oh, if you’re adventurers and you’re new here you need to register with a guild. We don’t want any trouble, you know? If you want directions to the nearest one I can give you those but otherwise I can’t help until you do that.”

I give Ferris a confused look and he shrugs. I say, “Uhh… sure.” She tells us how to get to the closest guild and makes us repeat it back to her. The two of us follow the directions. The streets are pretty busy but no one seems to be staring at us, which is a good sign.

I bump Ferris’ shoulder playfully with mine, “So, are we adventurers, then?”

He says, “Ferri is a knight and a healer, so I guess it makes sense to call Ferri that.”

“A knight? Where are you from? Where I’m from no one’s been a knight for hundreds of years.”

“The Kingdom of Lugunica.”

X says in my earpiece, “Rui, I have no record of any place with that name. Between that and other anomalies like Ferris’ cat features and the lack of any satellite signals whatsoever, it seems likely that we’re not on Earth.”

I nod acknowledgment to X. I’m not sure how to explain GALAX to a knight, but the concept of Gatchaman seems easier. “I guess you could say I’m a knight too? The place I’m from is called Japan.”

Ferris puts one hand on my shoulder and leans closer to me, “Two cute crossdressing knights inexplicably appear together and have to figure out where they are and why. Sounds like an adventure to me!”

When we arrive at the place we’ve been directed to, it looks like a mansion. It’s three stories tall and has a sign on it that says ★STAR LABRYS★, and the large double doors each bear a purple emblem of a twin-headed axe with a star cut out of the middle.

I look at Ferris, “Do we… knock?”

Right then, the door opens. The figure who opened it says solemnly, “Travelers, welcome. Please come inside.” She’s wearing a headpiece that’s both a mask and a crown, with seven huge points arrayed around the top and the sides. Also, she seems to have several snakes instead of legs. Well, X said we weren't on Earth. I hold Ferris’ hand tighter and follow the strange woman into a large, open room with several tables full of people sitting and talking.

She leads us to one of the empty tables and sits down across from us. “My name is Gwyndolin. Tell me why you came here.”

I get a strange sense that I should be kneeling in front of her, but do my best to ignore it, “We’re lost, and when we asked someone where we were they just sent us here and said we needed to register as adventurers?”

“I see. This city is called Vallice. Have you heard of it?” Ferris and I shake our heads. “When you say that you are lost, do you mean that you were elsewhere, and then suddenly you were in the temple on the hill?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what happened, what’s going on?”

“That temple belongs to a deity who represents change. Sometimes, they decide that a person needs their circumstances to change in order to continue to grow as a person, and so they bring them to another world in order to create that situation for them. So far, no one has found a way to reverse it, but the deity is a benevolent one. Most people who have it happen to them eventually end up appreciating it, even if it can be traumatic at first.”

“Wait,” Ferris says, “you mean we’re stuck here?”

“Yes. If it helps, it is possible to speak to your loved ones with magic, even if you cannot return to them.” 

Ferris looks down, “...Oh.”

“When you arrived in the temple there were two bags containing some of your things on the altar. You may wish to return to the temple and retrieve them. As for registration, you are welcome to register with Star Labrys, but you can stay here for a few days either way. Most of our members, including myself, came here the same way as you two.”

Ferris puts his hands on the table and leans forward, “How do I contact them? I want to talk to them as soon as possible!”

Gwyndolin says, “You need magic. If you had any before, it will not work here, so you will have to learn it from scratch. People summoned here by the temple are naturally predisposed to learning it, so it will be easier for you than it would be for most people, but even so it will take a few weeks at minimum. For today, you should not worry about that.”

“Maybe for now,” I offer, “we should go to the temple and get our things and we can talk about what to do.” Ferris nods and turns to leave without saying anything.

We walk to the temple in silence. Ferris’ ears are pointed back the whole way and his tail is flicking back and forth nervously, but I wait for him to talk when he’s ready. When we get to the temple, he finally clutches his hair and says, “Ahh! Lady Crusch is going to be so worried about Ferri… She’s going to think I just vanished for weeks!”

“Who is that?”

“She’s the most important person in the world to me! Ferri and Crusch love each other, and Ferri is Lady Crusch’s knight!” Ferris’ eyes light up as he’s talking about her.

“I guess I’m lucky that the most important person to me came with me… Don’t worry, we’ll figure out this magic thing and make sure you can talk to her as soon as possible.”

I find the altar that Gwyndolin mentioned. On it are three plain brown bags that each have a strap to be carried over one shoulder. I inspect them for a moment and find that they also have names on the bottom. I take mine, give Ferris’ to him, and leave the third one where it is. I sit down and look through mine. It contains pretty much everything I would have packed if I knew I was going to be summoned to another world, including most of my favorite outfits and wigs, my NOTE, and even a toothbrush and toothpaste. Ferris is clutching a dagger he got from his bag. But why is there a third bag…? I put on my short blonde wig that I usually wear with this dress, as well as my bunny ear headband.

As I’m adjusting my wig, I see a sudden light in the corner of my eye, turn around, and freeze. My heart stops for a second. How can Katze be… but it’s not them. The person there is a short, pink-haired girl wearing a white cloak over leather armor. She says, “My name’s Astolfo! I came here at the same time as you, but I’ve been dematerialized to conserve mana. I’ve been… sort of following you? I can only perceive things vaguely when I’m not materialized, but I got that we’re stuck here. I need to ask you a favor.”

Ferris’ ears had flicked back in surprise, but he regains his composure as Astolfo talks. When she’s done Ferris says, “Nice to meet you! I’m Ferris, and this is Rui. What kind of favor is it?”

“It’s a lot to ask, especially since we’re complete strangers, but I have no choice. I’m a Heroic Spirit. I was summoned into the physical world by a mage, and a constant flow of mana from them to me is what allows me to continue to exist. The problem is, being transported here cut me off from my Master, so if I don’t find someone else to make a contract within two days or so, I’ll die. I was wondering… if either of you would be willing to make a contract with me?”

Ferris has enough to worry about, and I’m not going to just let her die. Maybe she could find someone else to help her, but the whole point of GALAX was to create a world where people support each other when they need help. If everyone just looks away and hopes someone else will help, nothing will change. 

I make up my mind, “I don’t really understand what you’re talking about, but if there’s something I can do to help, I’ll do it. I’m not a mage, but from what Gwyndolin said I don’t think you’ll find anyone like that here. I’ll try to make a contract with you.”

She looks worried, “If you’re not a mage, I don’t know what will happen. It might hurt you, for all I know.”

“I’ll take the risk. I can’t just let you die when I might have been able to help.”

Ferris cuts in, “Ferri was one of the best healers in Lugunica! Even if Ferri can’t use magic right nyow, Ferri might still be able to help if it causes any kind of physical injury.”

X says, “Rui, I know I can’t talk you out of this, but you’re very important to me... Good luck.”

“Thanks, X. Let's do it, Astolfo. What do I need to do?”

Astolfo kneels in front of me, “Hold out your hand above me. You need to say a spell that binds us together, like a vow of fealty. A mage would have prepared a chant in advance, but it’s more about the intent than the specific wording. You’ll have to improvise and just hope our shared intention to create a contract is enough to make it work.”

I nod. I hold out my left hand over her, and hold my tablet to my chest with my right hand. I think for a minute about what to say. My hand starts glowing, bathing the two of us in bright golden light. A strong wind blows through the temple, and the hairs on my body stand up.

I feel surprisingly confident in my words, as if I’m being guided, “I’m new to this world and don’t know what problems it faces, but I swear to do everything in my power to fight cruelty, hopelessness, and abuse of power wherever I find them and to empower those around me to do the same. Will you help me, Astolfo?”

She says, “I accept your vow, Rui. I swear to help you, my Master, and I entrust my fate to you as your Servant.”

With that, the contract is made. The light coming from my hand grows hotter and brighter, and it spreads over my whole body. It feels like my body is on fire from the inside, and I start to collapse until Ferris catches me. 

Everyone starts talking to me at once, but I only hear X asking, “Rui, are you okay?”

“Mmmm.” I grit my teeth. The pain is extreme, but I’ve been hurt worse before. This isn’t even the worst I’ve been hurt by someone with pink hair. I’ll live. After a few minutes, the light emanating from my body coalesces into an intricate pattern that looks like circuitry, covering every inch of my skin. The pain lessens, and after another minute the circuitry fades, until the only light remaining is coming from a shape on the back of my left hand. The light fades from that as well, this time leaving behind what looks like a tattoo. The design is an abstract one that resembles a bird, with its belly facing towards me and two pairs of outstretched wings in an X shape.

With the pain gone, I notice that I’m laying with my head in Ferris’ lap. He’s gently stroking my hair, and Astolfo is crouched next to me. I say, “It’s over, I guess? Did it work?”

Astolfo answers “Yep! Although I’ve never seen all that stuff with the light before… It was probably because you're not a mage.”

“Well, it hurt a lot, but it seems like I’m okay now.” I try to get up and realize that I’m completely exhausted. “Oh, actually I can’t stand up, so one of you may have to carry me back to Star Labrys so we can sleep there.”

Astolfo says, “Absolutely, Rui!” She picks me up and holds me in a princess carry like I weigh nothing at all. I try not to blush, unsuccessfully. Astolfo also grabs both of our bags.

“Astolfo… you’re so strong!?”

“Of course! I’m weaker than most Servants, but I’m still a magical reincarnation of a legendary hero, so I’m far stronger than any normal human. Oh, and… thank you, Rui.”

“Oh, sure. You’re welcome.”

Astolfo says to both me and Ferris, “There was one other thing I wanted to say before we leave… when I wasn’t materialized I heard what the two of you said about being boys, and I felt that it would be wrong not to tell you that I heard that, since you probably thought that you were alone.” She pauses briefly, then adds, “And also… me too.”

Maybe it’s just because I’m tired, but this information doesn’t really change how I feel about Astolfo carrying me, which is that I’m enjoying it.

Ferris leans towards Astolfo, “Huh… Ferri went from nyever having met another person like me to having met two in one day! Wait, you’re sort of a knight too, aren’t you, Astolfo?”

“Yep!”

“Ahh haha so nyow it’s _three_ crossdressing knights on an adventure! I still miss Crusch, but at least that part is fun.”

I giggle, then yawn.

Astolfo says, “I think Rui needs rest. Let’s get back to the guild.”

I fall asleep very quickly in his arms. When I wake up, we’re in a small room with a large bed in it. Astolfo gently lays me on the bed and Ferris says, “Lady Gwyndolin said we could stay here for a few days while we get our bearings, or for as long as we want if we register as adventurers here.”

Astolfo says, “I think it makes the most sense for Rui to get the bed, right?”

To me, that seems a little unfair. “I mean...”

Astolfo looks at me, “Hmm?”

“I just mean… it’s a pretty big bed, right? It feels weird to have people sleeping on the floor when there’s enough room for all three of us.”

Ferris grins mischievously, “Ferri is happy to sleep together if you want~” 

I’m left blushing with no response until Astolfo rescues me, “Oh, alright! I only suggested it because I wasn’t sure if… well, it’s a stupid reason anyway. I’m fine with sleeping together too.”

Ferris grabs his bag, “Ok! I’m gonna go change then. Rui’s fine in that dress probably but you should change too, Astolfo. You can’t sleep in armor.”

The two of them take turns using the bathroom attached to our room to change. Ferris comes back wearing a white nightie, and Astolfo puts on a purple and white striped crop top with leggings and a skirt.

Still unable to get up, I take off my shoes and toss them somewhere on the ground. “Astolfo, would you mind putting these in my bag?” I hand him my wig, glasses, and earpiece and he does so.

The two of them get into bed on either side of me. After a minute, Ferris asks hesitantly, “Rui?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m, um, kinda a nyaturally affectionate person… would it bother you if I snuggled up to you a little?”

Part of me does feel weird about the idea... The same part of me that felt weird about blushing when Ferris called me pretty, because I’ve always thought of myself as being straight. But I decided to reject that part of myself, which is part of why I started wearing girls’ clothes in the first place. I smile at Ferris, “Sure, go ahead.”

He slides a little closer to me, puts one arm around me, and nestles his head in my shoulder. It seems like the most comfortable way to sleep like this is if I put my arm over his shoulder, so I do that. My heart beats a little faster. This is a pretty intimate position to be in with someone I just met a few hours ago. I’m enjoying it, though, and Ferris clearly is too, because he starts purring softly after a minute. I’m very tired and Ferris’ body is warm and comforting against me. I fall asleep quickly and don’t wake up until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of the first chapter! My intent is to post a new chapter every few weeks, but it remains to be seen if I'll be able to stick to that in practice.

**Author's Note:**

> EXTREMELY BIG thank you to Seralyna (twitter.com/Seralyna_) for helping a TON with editing this and talking about ideas about it and stuff!! She spent many hours helping me with Star Labrys and it would not be as good without her.  
> Also thanks to Ash (twitter.com/hierarchon) for beta reading it!!


End file.
